Sac Design: Suite Escape

A Rocklin couple gets the retreat of their dreams.

“Bedrooms are perfect for moody colors,” says designer Yvonne Harty, who chose Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal for the walls, which are embellished with traditional picture-frame molding. “One of the reasons they bought this house is because that molding can be found throughout, so it made sense to add it here.”

There are few things parents of young children desire more than a tranquil refuge they can retire to at the end of a hectic day. That’s exactly the type of sanctuary designer Yvonne Harty created for a Rocklin couple whose busy life includes running their own business and raising three kids.

In the seating area, a round marble- topped table and tufted leather club chairs make for an inviting spot to unwind. Hardy designed the fi replace surround with marble tile in colors that echo those in the bathroom. “Personally, I’m a fan of incorporating warmer tones, especially when gray is part of the palette.”

“Their days are really full. They wanted to have a place that feels like a retreat, somewhere they can get away from it all,” says Harty.

The overhaul of the primary suite began with a complete reimagining of the layout, which was riddled with inconveniences: a tub sandwiched awkwardly between two sinks; a window that couldn’t be opened because of its location behind the tub; a difficult-to access walk-in closet. “Moving things around was a real challenge from a construction standpoint,” says Harty, “but it was necessary.”

The large built-in houses more than an entertainment center. The homeowners’ two dogs sleep each night in the mesh-door cabinets below the television.

Harty relocated the toilet so that it has its own dedicated space outfitted with a compact sink. The tub and shower were moved and combined into a single enclosed wet room. Where the tub once sat, Harty added a makeup vanity, perfectly situated to capture natural light from the window. Perhaps the most drastic alteration was the addition of a fireplace in an area of the bedroom that previously functioned as dead space.

Harty took color cues from renovations that the owners were doing to the downstairs portion of the home. “They like everything neutral, not a lot of color,” says the designer, who painted the bedroom’s paneled walls an inky gray. “A bedroom is a very good place to introduce a darker color because you want to feel relaxed, not stimulated.”

Harty was intentional about choosing a built-in tub for the wet room. “I’m not a fan of freestanding tubs. It’s hard to clean behind them, and they are less safe because there’s nothing to hold onto when you’re exiting them,” she explains. “My job is to make things practical for the client, not just have a pretty picture for my portfolio.”

Wherever possible, Harty took care to soften the space with rounded elements, from the Hubbardton Forge sconces to the mirrors to the faucet hardware. “I like clean lines, but in a bathroom, where there are a lot of rigid lines and hard elements, it helps to have something with curves,” explains Harty.

The toilet room gets its distinct look from Sarah Von Dreele’s Chapman wallpaper. “The airy print was one of the ways I softened the space, which functions almost like a powder room thanks to the addition of a sink,” says Harty.

The revamped suite, which is about 700 square feet (not including the closets), is now a soothing space where the homeowners can relax and recharge. “They like to come up here at the end of the day and have a glass of wine,” says Harty. “It’s a place they can really enjoy now.”

Interior Design: Harty Interiors Contractor: JDR Construction Photography: TRA Huynh/Two Twenty Photos and Yvonne Harty

Delicate seashell mosaic tiles on the walls of the wet room “add some texture and warmth to the space so that it doesn’t feel too white and sterile,” says Harty.